Eclipse
by The Dream Writer
Summary: Tristan Starr failed the first level of skybax training and ended up becoming guardian over an orphaned skybax egg instead. His dream to become a skybax rider slowly dies, but another one evolves...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The egg felt even heavier once Tristan walked into Sauropolis. He shifted his backpack, trying to make his aching shoulders more comfortable, but it didn't seem to feel any better. As Tristan's hesitant footsteps carried him further in, past the city's huge gates, he felt as if the city were a giant carnivore, swallowing him whole. Many of the buildings towered high above him, constructed to accommodate the largest of the dinosaurs. Since he was just a human, small, and insignificant, maybe his travel worn appearance and suspiciously bulging backpack wouldn't spawn curiosity in anyone.

Dinotopia's capitol city sounded even noisier than Tristan remembered. Carts and wagons squeaked and rattled, people shouted, dinosaurs growled, music played somewhere in the distance…and a high pitched blast coming from a whistle rang shrilly in his ears. He jumped at the sound and found himself staring stupidly into the angry face of a traffic guard.  
"Get out o' th' way. You'll git run over ifn ya stand around gawkin' like that." The hefty man said in a tone of voice that meant business. He grabbed Tristan by the collar and yanked him aside as if he were no lighter than a small boy. Tristan felt the all too familiar heat of anger burn through his body. He was about to slap the man's meaty hands away from his collar when a huge bicycle taxi powered by a lambeosaurus sped past them, narrowly missing them both. The wheels hit a puddle in the street, spattering dirty water all over Tristan.  
"Well, maybe that'll teach ya t' watch where yore a goin' next time." The man said, finally letting go of the teenager. He of course hadn't received any of the splatter from the puddle since he'd held Tristan securely in front of him like a shield.  
Tristan said nothing in return as he swiped his dripping hair away from his face.

The traffic guard gave his bright uniform a quick pat, checking for mud splatter. After finding nothing, he gave a satisfied grunt and without even glancing in Tristan's direction, he turned away to focus on his duties once again. Tristan had been dismissed as indifferently as a fly being brushed from a sleeve. Tristan glared at him, tempted to wipe his muddy sleeve over the back of the man's neatly pressed shirt. But as hard as it was to let it go, Tristan forced himself to walk away. It wouldn't be good to draw anymore attention to himself, not unless he wanted someone to find out about the egg he carried in his backpack.

Continuing his trek through the city, Tristan made sure from that point on to watch his step. He didn't want to be jerked around anymore by traffic guards whether they were attempting to save his life or not. He realized now that a boisterous city was not the ideal place to raise an egg, especially in secret, but he needed help and his family was the only ones he knew to turn to.  
At one point he considered taking a taxi to his destination, but as he watched them speeding through the streets, he decided against it, not wanting to be jostled around any more than he'd already been. He shifted his heavy backpack, concerned for the fragile cargo within. It would be ironic to have traveled all this way from the canyons on his own, managing to keep the egg safe and unseen, only for something terrible to happen to it once he reached his home city. It would be good to reach his family's apartment before anything else could happen.

Just as soon as the thought crossed his mind, someone bumped into him from behind—hard—thumping against his backpack. Tristan's patience, which had worn thin already, snapped. "Hey, watch it!" He barked as he whirled around.  
He had no idea how fierce his expression looked as he found himself staring into the wide eyes of a girl. She stared back at him, seemingly frozen, with her mouth open. Tristan passed a hand over his face. He felt tired and irritable from traveling all day and the last thing he wanted to do was to apologize or try and come up with some sort of logical sounding explanation for his frustration.  
The girl remained still, clutching a colorful crocheted bag tightly in her slender hands. She licked her lips and swallowed before finally speaking. "I-I'm really sorry for bumping into you. I…uh…I should've paid closer attention to where I was going."

"Yes." Tristan agreed his tone still gruff. "You should've." Then, dismissing her as unceremoniously as the traffic guard had done to him, he stepped away from the main hubbub of the street and carefully set his backpack down on an empty street bench. After loosening the drawstring, he peered inside. Dipping his hand into the backpack, he pushed away the insulated blanket he'd wrapped securely around the egg for warmth and added protection. As he rubbed the smooth surface of the egg and felt the familiar warmth and life radiating from it, relief washed over him. It was still safe and unharmed.  
Glancing up again, he discovered that the girl had not taken his cue of dismissal and was still watching him with a fearful expression on her face. What was wrong with her? There was no reason for her to be afraid of him. He traced her gaze with his eyes and realized that she was staring at the long knife strapped to his belt. Why hadn't he thought to put the knife somewhere where it would be concealed once he reached the city? It was a wonder that the traffic guard hadn't noticed it. Out in the countryside, most folks didn't think much about it since knives were useful on the trail, but people in the cities were uptight about carrying anything considered a weapon out in the open. This was due to the third code of Dinotopia, ("Weapons are enemies even to their owners") _,_ and also probably because Sauropolis was notorious for attracting lawless folks referred to as Dolphin Bay tramps. And these folks were usually rebellious, strapping on weapons mostly just for reasons of spite and intimidation, but on occasion they really were used to harm others.

It seemed as if Tristan could read the accusation printed across the girl's eyes; Dolphin Bay tramp. It was only a matter of moments before she would regain her composure enough to flag down a street guard to come and take him into custody to be brought in front of the city officials and tried. Then they would discover the egg and the truth would only sound like a story to them and he'd be permanently labeled a Dolphin Bay tramp. And what would happen after that? Punishment? Banishment?

Suddenly Tristan felt bad for being so gruff toward the girl. Not bad for her sake, but for his. He forced a smile onto his face, hoping it would do for a gesture of forgiveness.  
His gesture must've been clear enough because instantly, the worry in the girl's eyes melted away. Apparently she took the smile as a friendly invitation too, because she bounded over to him, blonde curls bouncing against her round face. Tristan stepped back a little, but she didn't seem to notice. She smiled up at him in a happy, childish way. "Oh I'm so glad that you're not angry anymore. I'll try my best to pay closer attention to where I'm going next time." She hesitated, looking him up and down again. "Just for the record, you're not _really_ a Dolphin Bay tramp, are you?"

Tristan just stared at her, surprised at her sudden switch of moods.

"Well?" She took a tentative step backward as if getting ready to run if she should need to.

Tristan finally shook his head. "No. Sauropolis is my home."

The girl sighed, clearly relieved. "Good. I'm always worried I might come across one. I've heard they can be pretty mean sometimes."

Tristan wondered if he should tell the girl that she was too trusting. Lucky for her he wasn't really a Dolphin Bay tramp because he could just as easily be lying to her.

"You want to know why I was so distracted?" The girl piped up, cocking her head to one side in a dinosaur-like fashion.  
Tristan continued to stare at her, a little taken back by her sudden friendliness and quick conversation, especially after she'd seemed so afraid only a few minutes before.  
Even though he hadn't responded, the girl just giggled and went on talking anyway. "Well, to be honest I was watching that brachiosaurus over there, trying to decide if it would be more thrilling to view the city from way up there on a saddle just behind its head or if a ride on the back of a skybax would be better. A brachiosaurus would move slowly enough for me to see all the sights, that's for sure, but a skybax could let me see everything at any angle I wanted." She wrinkled her nose. "But then again, I don't know. A skybax would probably go too fast for me to take everything in." What do you think? Would it be better to ride a brachiosaurus or a skybax?"  
Tristan scratched his head awkwardly. She was looking up at him again apparently expecting an answer. Then he relaxed a little as he suddenly realized that her bubbly personality and fast changing moods reminded him so much of his sister, Tiana. "I would choose the skybax." He finally replied.  
The girl sighed. "Oh, it's such a hard decision." Then she laughed again. "Of course, I guess it doesn't really matter anyway because I'll never get to ride a skybax, and I'd have to come up with some expensive trading material to get to ride one of those prestigious city brachiosaurs."  
Tristan listened to the girl's chatter, wondering if he was going to be able to get a word in to say goodbye. He was tempted to simply walk away, but that would be rude and he didn't want to hurt her feelings again, much less risk the chance of her going back to thinking he really was some kind of rogue.  
"So why are you still standing there with one arm inside your backpack? It looks funny, kind of like you were going to take something out, but forgot about it." The girl paused, blinking up at him expectantly.  
This was the pause in the girl's seemingly endless flow of words that Tristan was waiting for; his chance to quickly bid farewell and leave, but he hadn't expected such an odd question to be hurtled at him so bluntly and it caught him off guard. "I uh…"  
Before he could finish, the girl leaned forward, eyes sparking with interest as she peered into the backpack. It all happened so fast that Tristan hardly had time to think. "Oh!" The girl gasped, "An egg! So that's why you were so anxious when I bumped into you. I'm terribly sorry. I hope it didn't harm it." She looked up at Tristan, a quizzical expression on her face. "But…what are you doing with an…egg?"

Tristan hoped his face didn't show how nervous he felt. All this time he'd been so careful—through the whole trip in fact—without anything significant happening, and now that he was within a half mile of home, the worst thing he could think of had happened. A stranger had caught him with the egg and was asking questions about it.

"You really are a tramp after all, aren't you?" The girl said, a sudden frown creasing her pale brow. "And you've done something terrible. You've stolen an egg." She took a step backward.

Yes, Tristan wanted her to leave, but not like this. He quickly shook his head. "No, no no no. It's not what you think. You see, it's an orphan. I'm merely…uh…transporting it…you know…to a safe place." He was sweating now as he struggled to find words to explain his way out of this dilemma.

The girl narrowed her eyes at him and he could tell that she seemed to be thinking hard. Tristan quickly tightened the drawstring, secured the top flap, and pulled the backpack over his shoulders again.  
"An orphan, you say?" The girl finally said. "Well if that's so, you're heading in the wrong direction. The Sauropolis Hatchery Reserve and Saurian Nursery is back that way." She pointed down the wide street veering off to the left.  
Tristan rubbed his forehead, a habitual motion he made when irritated or worried. In this case, it was a mixture of both. "I—I know. I grew up in this city."

"Did you now?" The girl looked him up and down incredulously. "Well you sure don't look like it."  
Tristan felt embarrassed and then annoyed. It was true though. He knew that his travel worn simple tunic and pants looked drab compared to the grand attire of all the folks milling about the city. Back at Canyon City (a small town despite its name) such frills and frippery would likely make everyone laugh—even the skybaxes. During his training though, Tristan had quickly grown accustomed to wearing simple clothes more suited for the hot and dusty canyon environment.  
"I may not look like it, but I did. I've just been away for awhile." He hoped the girl wouldn't ask anymore personal questions. In his opinion she was a little too friendly—to the point of being nosy—and seemed to have no perception of personal space. He shifted the pack on his shoulders and looked up at the sky. "Hey, you know what? I've really got to be going." He patted one of the backpack straps. "Important delivery to make, if you know what I mean." He managed to paste on another smile and was relieved to see that it seemed to have the desired effect.

The girl relaxed again and returned the smile, though it was a much more reserved one than before. "Right, I'd better not delay you any longer. I've probably overwhelmed you already with my chatter." She sighed. "It seems like I'm always getting in trouble for talking too much."

Tristan resisted the urge to verbally agree. Instead, he concentrated on trying to look as innocent as possible.  
The girl held out a hand in the universal Dinotopian greeting. "I'll let you be on your way now. Sorry again about all the trouble. My name's Poppy Harper, by the way."  
Tristan touched the girl's hand briefly, returning the greeting. "I'm Tristan Starr, nice to meet you." He said, through his forced smile and gritted teeth. The last thing he wanted to do was to give out his name, but it would be rude if he didn't and he sure didn't want to confirm her suspicions of him being a Dolphin Bay tramp involved in kidnapping an egg and withholding it from its rightful place in a hatchery. That kind of information let loose in the city could bring him loads of trouble.  
"Goodbye!" The girl said with a wave of her hand; seemingly back to her sunny self again. "Oh, and don't lose your way again, remember, the Hatchery Reserve and Saurian Nursery is that way." She gestured again in the same direction she'd pointed out before.  
Tristan had already started forward in the direction toward home, but the girl's words stopped him as he realized that she wouldn't understand why he was still going the wrong direction. "Um…right." He mumbled, turning around slowly. Not wanting her to ask any more questions, he headed in the direction she'd pointed, hoping that she'd go a different way so that she wouldn't notice when he'd sneak back and head on down Grand Avenue, toward home. After taking a few steps he glanced behind him to see where Poppy was going. He sighed in relief to see her heading in the opposite direction.  
Then, the girl suddenly turned, catching sight of him watching her. She smiled broadly and waved. "Breathe Deep!"  
Tristan was rattled. He hadn't expected her to turn around too. "Fly High." He returned out of habit, along with the snappy skybax riders salute that all the cadets of the beginners' class were trained to use.  
The girl stopped and stared back at him with a puzzled look on her face.

Tristan felt his stomach twist again, this time in real fear. Then, much to his delight, someone on the busy street bumped into the girl, distracting her. Ha! She got just what she deserved. Tristan immediately recognized this moment of opportunity. He spun around and hurried away as fast as he dared, hoping the girl wouldn't catch sight of him again and suddenly decide to follow him in order to ask more questions. However, in his haste, he forgot to go in the direction of the Sauropolis Hatchery Reserve and Saurian Nursery and headed on down Grand Avenue toward the apartment where his family lived. He did not look behind him again.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Tristan's tired eyes swept over the building, relishing every familiar detail. The Sauropolis Starr Restaurant, a tall limestone building featuring gothic spires and arched windows looked much like a miniature version of a medieval castle. The restaurant belonged in the lower part of the building and the Starr family's apartment where they lived was situated in the upper part. Tristan took a deep breath, relishing the savory smells wafting from the restaurant. Dinner rush hour would be in full swing by now. He pictured the wiry stenonycasaurus waiters and waitresses dashing to and fro between tables, taking down orders and serving the guests. In the back, the kitchen would be whirling with activity; dishes clattering, fires whirring, cooks barking orders, amongst the steam rising from pots and pans and hot ovens.

Tristan considered walking through the front doors of the restaurant and ordering a meal as casually as any of the other guests, but when he shifted his heavy pack, stretching his sore shoulder muscles, it reminded him of the burden he'd carried back with him all the way from the canyons. No, he wouldn't walk into the restaurant and surprise his family that way. It would be better to go in the back way, up the stairs to the family apartment. After all, he was still unsure at how they would handle the news that he'd failed his training, disobeyed orders, and struck off on his own rather than asking for advice from his instructor. If that wasn't bad enough, what would they think about him returning with an orphaned skybax egg? Could he trust his own family with this secret? He would have to. He didn't know what else to do anyway. The news about the egg would be more than enough so he decided that it wouldn't even be worth mentioning the debts he owed to numerous folks during his journey from the canyons to Sauropolis.

Tristan skirted around to the back of the restaurant, suddenly feeling nervous about facing his family. Keeping a firm grip on the iron railing, he climbed the familiar back stairs. The backpack, bulging with the skybax egg, felt heaver than ever before. He paused in front of the door wondering if he should go on in since it was his home or if he should knock since no one would be expecting him. After a moment's contemplation he swallowed hard and reached for the copper ring of the door knocker. Tap, tap, tap. He let go quickly and waited, straining his ears to catch the sound of approaching footsteps. It felt strange knocking on the door of his own home as if he were a mere stranger.

After a moment the door handle turned and the door swung inward slowly. Then, a dark haired girl peeped shyly around the door, halfway hiding behind it.

"Celesta?" Tristan said.

The girl's pale blue eyes widened and she immediately stepped away from the protection of the door. She rushed forward and threw her arms around him, hugging him tight.

"You're back!" She gasped.

Relief washed over Tristan as he returned his youngest sister's hug. "Of course I'm back. I told you I wouldn't stay away forever."

Celesta pulled away and looked up at him, her eyes shining like two silver stars. At fourteen, she was the youngest in the family as well as the shyest and quietest. "I thought training would keep you away longer than that." She said innocently.

Tristan swallowed hard and chose to evade her comment. "So where is everybody?" He asked, closing the door behind him.

Celesta led him down the entry hallway and into the sitting room which was usually reserved for entertaining company. "Mom and Dad are working in the restaurant and Tiana is at her dance lesson. Sekani's with her, of course." Sekani was a young deinonychus orphan which Cedric Starr, the children's father, had rescued once when he used to work as a guard for Rainy Basin convoys. Tiana, the middle child of the three had immediately bonded with the creature and since then they'd been nearly inseparable pals.

"So what are you doing here all alone then?" Tristan teased, knowing exactly why his little sister was staying home. It was because she was very shy and would rather stay home than go out alone anywhere.

Celesta smiled. "I'm taking care of the house while everyone else is away. It's an important job you know."

Tristan glanced around realizing for the first time since he'd walked in how neat and tidy the room was. The sitting room as well as the rest of the house had a medieval theme to match the restaurant below. Colorful tapestries decorated the stone walls and intricately woven rugs brightened the dark wooden floor. Plush pillows were plumped and propped up neatly upon every couch and chair. The candlesticks looked freshly polished and the fireplace hearth had been swept clean. Tristan was impressed. His little sister had truly done her job well.

Celesta tugged at her brother's backpack. "This is so heavy. Is it full of pretty rocks from the canyons?"

"No." Tristan said quickly, stepping back, out of his sister's reach while keeping a protective hand on the shoulder strap of the backpack. Carefully he slid the pack from his shoulders and set it gently on the floor. When he looked up again Celesta was watching him with a mixed expression of surprise and disappointment on her face.

Guilt washed over Tristan. Celesta had always been fascinated with rocks and shells and other interesting small relics of nature and Tristan had always made it a point to pick something up for her whenever he traveled anywhere away from home. He realized with a sinking feeling that he'd been so wrapped up with his own troubles that he'd forgotten to pick up anything for his sister, not even one small pebble from the canyons. He shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. "Um, Celesta, I uh…I don't have any…rocks…this time." He glanced around the room, not sure where to look until his gaze rested on his backpack again. Of course, he always had the option of showing her the egg. For a moment, he struggled inwardly, trying to decide if he should keep this orphaned skybax egg a secret for a while longer or if he should let his family know about it right away. It was originally the plan to let them know about it, he just hadn't sorted out in his mind exactly when and how. It would be easier to share the burden, but then again, it was his burden to bear, a responsibility that the skybax had given to him alone. If he ever wished to gain the skybax's trust, he would have to be very careful on how he took care of the egg.

Celesta fixed her pale eyes on her brother, watching him closely. Tristan was still staring at the backpack while a distraught look crept into his eyes. The girl touched his shoulder. "It's alright." She said softly. "I have too many rocks in my collection as it is."

Tristan glanced up and looked his sister in the eyes, searching for the right words to speak. "Celesta, I…I have something to tell you."

"Shhh." Celesta said quietly. "Just let me guess."

"But you could never—" Tristan started to protest, but his sister silenced him by placing a hand over his mouth.

"There, now listen." Celesta continued to speak in a soft tone. "I had a dream about you."

Tristan's eyes grew wide. Celesta had always been extremely intuitive and occasionally this trait came out in her dreams. When this happened though, it usually took a great amount of prying to get her to speak of any of the things which she saw in her dreams. Now she was ready to tell him about one and out of her own free will too. He wasn't sure if this was a good sign, or a really bad one. Part of him wanted to hear what she had to say and another part of him wanted to cover his ears and run.

"I saw you in the canyons. It was night, but the moon was full so I could still see what was going on. You just stood there, staring up at the moon as if it could speak to you and give you the answers that you were searching for. Then I saw something else, in a different place in the canyon. Far, far below, much further away in the Canyons, a river flowed at the bottom. The dark water poured into a huge opening in the earth and disappeared. Near the gaping mouth of the cavern, resting on the river bank was a skybax. She had navy blue wings tipped in silver and russet shades. Her eyes were very large and dark, but she was dying. She looked up to the sky and one of the brighter stars that was not hidden in the moon's glow reflected in her eyes, giving it one last beautiful spark before she breathed her last. Then, above the thunder of the water, another skybax could be heard, screaming. It wheeled in the air high above the river, its cries echoing throughout the canyon. Clearly, this skybax was mourning over the death of the beautiful skybax far below. The skybax in the air had large eyes too and dark wings splotched with russet, and tips were barely edged in silver. In its talons, it held an egg. Suddenly the skybax in the air gave one last scream and flew away. Then I saw you again, standing on that cliff with the moonlight shining down on you. There were tears in your eyes. Then I saw the skybax with the egg flying toward you. I woke up before I could see anything else happen."

Tristan sat still, stunned by Celesta's words.

Celesta touched his shoulder again. "You're not a rider yet, are you?" She said gently.

"But how could you tell?" Tristan said, finally managing to find his voice. "That was just a dream!"

"I could see it in your eyes the moment you walked through the door." Celesta said. Then a worried look crept into her eyes. "Tell me, Tristan. Was there any truth in that dream I had? Or was it just a random dream with no real meaning?"

Tristan dropped his gaze. "I don't know how much of it was real." He said in a strained voice. "But what you didn't see certainly became real. After I failed graduation, I did seek the silence of the canyons to contemplate what I could've done wrong to receive rejection from the skybax I wanted to bond with. It was the night of the full moon and the very skybax that rejected me as a flight partner earlier that day, returned with an egg in its talons." Tristan paused, watching his sister closely.

Celesta sucked in her breath sharply. "The skybax brought you an egg?"

"Listen." Tristan said in a grave tone. "What I am about to tell you is a secret and I don't want anyone else to know unless I decide to tell them. Do you promise to keep this secret?"

"I promise." Celesta whispered, but her eyes looked scared.

Tristan opened the backpack and beckoned for his sister to step closer. "Instead of a skybax partner, this is what I brought back from the canyons."

Celesta peeked into the bag and immediately her eyes widened. She said nothing at first and simply stared at the egg as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Finally she reached down and brushed her fingers against the shell. "It has dark blue and russet spots." She breathed. "I visited the hatchery once and I never saw an egg like this." She looked up again, her brow furrowed. "It's the one, isn't it—the one in my dream?" Tristan shrugged. "If your dream really meant anything, than I'm assuming that the skybax you saw with it in your dream is the very one that entrusted it to me."

"Is it alright?" Celesta breathed. "Is it warm enough?"

"It's just fine. I've been taking good care of it." Tristan replied.

Celesta stared into space. "Why do you think the skybax brought you an egg to care for instead of bonding with you for a flight partnership?

Tristan swallowed hard. He sank into a nearby chair and rubbed his forehead.

Celesta waited patiently for him to answer though her brow was creased with worry too.

"I really don't know and I can't seem to figure it out either." Tristan finally admitted. "I worked so hard in training to the point where I remained top in my class—well, other than one other boy, who sort of ended up becoming a rival. To make a long story short, this skybax was an unusual one and I'd been warned about seeking a partnership with him."

Celesta sat down beside her brother. "Tristan." She said quietly. "What is the skybax's name?"

Tristan hesitated. "Well, I…I don't know…for sure…yet."

"What do you think it is?" Celesta asked again.

"He's referred to as Darkwing, but I'm not for certain that's his real name."

"How could you expect a full commitment from the skybax if you aren't even certain of his name yet?"

One of Tristan's hands curled into a fist. "Look, it's complicated."

Celesta said nothing more this time.

"The skybax brought the egg to me _after_ he rejected me." Tristan admitted bitterly. "I just don't understand why he would trust me with an egg, but not trust me as a full time flight partner."

"Maybe you should go back." Celesta suggested. "Try the beginners' course again. Maybe Darkwing just needs more time."

"I'm not going back right now." Tristan said firmly. "I came home because I needed some time away from there. And I…well…now I have this egg to take care of." He leaned down and tucked the insulated blanket around the egg again.

"Why don't you take it to the hatchery? There are others there who will help you look after it. They've got better equipment for tending to it anyway."

"No way. If the skybax would've wanted it to be taken to a hatchery he would've made that clear. What he did make clear is that the egg is fully my responsibility." Tristan sighed deeply. "An orphaned egg can be cared for without fancy equipment. I make sure to keep it warm, turn it every few hours, and moisten the blanket around it from time to time."

Celesta gently pried Tristan's fingers loose from the tight fist he'd made. "So what are you going to tell our parents?"

Tristan groaned. "I don't know. I'm sure they're going to be upset when they find out that I…failed…the first level of training." He grimaced at the word 'failed,' but he couldn't think of a better way to word it.

"Rush hour at the restaurant will be over before long and they'll be coming home. Are you going to keep hiding the egg or let Mother and Father know about it?" Celesta asked.

Tristan frowned. "I guess I'll hold off telling them about it for tonight at least. Probably breaking the news about my failure is going to be more than enough for the rest of the family to take in for one evening anyway. Besides, I'd sure hate for word to get out about this egg. The city officials would for sure hold me for questioning and demand that the egg be put in a hatchery. I don't think I could ever face the skybax again if I let someone take the egg away from me."

Celesta looked up at her older brother with a grateful look in her eyes. "Thank you for sharing your secret with me. And I'm glad you're home again. I missed you an awful lot."

Tristan hugged his youngest sister again. "I missed you too. Now why don't you help me find a good hiding place for this egg? My room's available still, I hope."

Celesta laughed. "Yeah. Tiana and Sekani tried to take it over, but I wouldn't let them. Your things are all still there."

"Good." Tristan closed his backpack and pulled it over his shoulders once again. "You'd better show me the way." He teased. "I've been gone so long that I don't think I remember how to get there."

Celesta laughed again and led her brother to his room.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Tristan leaned out of his bedroom window, breathing deeply. The evening air smelled so different here in Sauropolis. Food, dinosaurs, flowers, and if he closed his eyes and concentrated, he could even detect a slight smell of salt water drifting in from the bay. Back in the canyons the night air usually smelled of dust and when the breeze was blowing just right, it brought in the sharp smells of tomato, okra, and pepper plants which grew in the garden patches near the cadets' quarters.

The reunion with his parents didn't go as smoothly as it had with his youngest sister. They were both shocked to see him. When they heard that he'd failed the first level of his training they seemed sympathetic at first, until they learned that he had no intentions of going back to try again.

The disappointed look in his mother's eyes was forever stamped in Tristan's memory as well as his father's words of disapproval. "Your mother and I didn't raise a quitter. I know you're better than that and I think you know it too, somewhere deep inside that hard shell of yours."

Tristan cringed at the memory. His father's usage of the word 'shell' held more than one meaning. 'Shell' meant that he not yet broken through, meaning he wasn't mature enough or ready to take on a habitat partnership. Tristan had a hunch that it also referred to the invisible shell that he kept tightly around himself, allowing very few people to get to know him well. He'd always been more withdrawn toward others and came across as arrogant. This landed him with few friends other than close family and some fond acquaintances. Tristan swallowed hard, wishing now that he could take back the words he'd spoken to his father. He'd spoken out of frustration and revealed more information than he'd intended. "I'm not quitting. I'm taking a break. I can't help it if the skybax wouldn't make a commitment."

His father, whom everyone else knew as Cedric Starr, raised a dark eyebrow. "The skybax wouldn't make a commitment? Hmmm…maybe it knows you better than you do yourself."

"You're saying it's my fault?"

"Well, if that's the way you want to look at it, yes."

Tristan absentmindedly rubbed his jaw, remembering how hard he'd clenched his teeth while he'd struggled to keep his anger under control. He hadn't been able to think of a good response because deep down he knew his father spoke the truth. He hadn't even bothered to tell his parents about the skybax or the egg. Clearly they'd had all they could take in one night already.

Someone knocked on Tristan's bedroom door, breaking his uncomfortable reverie. Sighing, he turned around. There was hardly such a thing as alone time in Sauropolis. He'd gotten used to having plenty of solitary time to think away from others out in the canyons. He already missed all those hikes he'd experienced, exploring, and getting to know the environment of the skybaxes.

He could hear the intruders at his door before he even reached it. Claws clicking on the stone floor, that would be the deinonychus, Sekani, impatiently shifting back and forth; and a series of girlish giggles, that would be his other sister, Tiana, who was two years younger than himself.

Tristan threw open the door and his visitors fairly tumbled over one another into the room. Tristan had to quickly step out of the way to avoid being run over by the rowdy pair.

Tiana practically danced around the room in her delight at seeing her brother. "I can't believe you're really home! It's so good to have you back, even if it means I can't have your room after all." Sekani danced around the room too, a sloppy grin on his face while he grunted his agreement. Tristan was a little surprised at how much the young deinonychus had grown since he'd last seen him. When he'd left for skybax training, the creature seemed to be all legs and tail, not to mention the pair of feet that seemed too big for the rest of his body. Now Sekani was nearly taller than himself, muscles bulging, sickle shaped foot claws looking impressive—not to mention intimidating—and that long tail was big enough to knock someone over—or some _thing._ Down went the basket off of the shelf where he kept all the ribbons he'd won at athletic events over the past years. The colorful strips of material spilled out over the floor.

"Hey now, calm yourselves." Tristan ordered, diving forward to rescue the ribbons before they got trampled.

After Sekani realized what he'd done, he immediately helped pick up the ribbons and return them to the basket. "Sorry." He said in a deep growly voice.

Tristan nearly dropped the basket all over again at hearing the deinonychus speak. "What?!"

"Sorry."

Tiana giggled again. "Close your mouth, Tristan, before you choke on a fly."

Tristan closed his mouth, but his eyes still reflected his surprise.

Tiana took the basket from him and returned it to the shelf. "Sekani practices every day with new words in our language even though it isn't as easy for him to speak them as it is for some dinosaurs." There was a tone of pride in her voice.

Sekani flashed a toothy grin.

Tristan shook his head in amazement. "Well I'm impressed, Sekani." He held out a hand in the universal Dinotopian greeting. "It's good to see you again. Breathe Deep." Sekani touched the boy's palm. "Seek Peace." His words sounded gruff and were difficult to understand, but spoken in the human tongue, nonetheless.

"We just got back from dance class." Tiana said while she squeezed her brother in an overjoyed hug. "Mother and Father said that you were home. I didn't believe them at first. But it's true."

Tristan peeled his sister's arms away from him. "Yeah, I've been home all evening. You couldn't have been away at dance class all that time." He smiled and tugged her short brown ponytail.

Tiana jumped back, fussing with her hair. "Well, it's true…Sekani and I were—well—um…"

"Staying out of mischief, I hope?" Tristan said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Well, it depends what you consider mischief." Tiana dropped her gaze and twiddled with her birthstone ring which she wore on one of her fingers. It was purple amethyst, her favorite color. Sekani suddenly decided to stand by the window and watch the activities on the street below.

Tristan decided not to pry any further. He would save that for later in case she asked him more than he wanted to tell about his stay in the canyons.

As if she'd read his thoughts, Tiana said "So are you an apprentice rider now? Did you fly here so we can see your skybax companion?"

Tristan winced at the question. He'd hoped that his parents would tell Tiana the news so he wouldn't have to go through it all over again.

"Come on, Tristan, tell me." Tiana begged. "It's nearly dark out now, but if we hurry we could still make it to the rookery before dark. I really want to see the skybax." She grabbed his hand and tried to pull him to the door.

Tristan dug in his heels and pulled his hand out of his sister's eager grasp. "No."

Tiana's eyes grew wide with surprise. "No?"

Sekani turned around and watched Tristan closely.

Tristan rubbed his forehead, trying to find the right words.

Tiana didn't wait for him to think. "What do you mean by no? What's wrong?"

Tristan gritted his teeth. "Tiana, there isn't a skybax for you to see. If I'd flown here on one, I would've been here a long time ago. I had to travel the conventional way, which is part of why I was gone for so long. Listen I'm not…not…well…I'm not an official skybax rider yet." He said the last few words in a rush.

Tiana stood still as if trying to let her brother's words sink in.

"Why?" It was Sekani who spoke this time, gruff, but distinct.

For some reason it seemed worse hearing the question come from a dinosaur. Tristan felt the sudden impulse to pack his bag and leave again so he wouldn't have to keep explaining his dilemma. "For some reason, my skybax partner refused to make a commitment."

Sekani's eyes reflected more questions though he didn't say anything more. Tiana still remained speechless, which was unlike her. It made Tristan feel uneasy. "Listen," he said, "I'm sorry I've disappointed everyone. I myself am at a loss of what to do."

Sekani scratched at the stone floor with one of his claws. Tristan struggled to keep from plugging his ears to block out the grating sound, small as it was.

Finally Tiana spoke. "Maybe it would help if you went to Treetown."

"Huh?" The comment caught him off guard.

"Treetown." Tiana repeated. "I've heard that it's a place that helps young people learn to communicate with dinosaurs better. It also better prepares you for habitat partnership fields."

Tristan swallowed his indignation and tried to keep his tone level. "That's with dinosaurs, not skybaxes. Besides, I've communicated with plenty of dinosaurs."

Sekani snorted and looked as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't because of his limited vocabulary in the human tongue. Instead, he scratched a little too hard on the floor, leaving a small mark.

Tiana shrugged. "Well, it's just a thought. I've heard it's a lot of fun there. I've wanted to go myself, but Mother and Father would like me to be here for now to help in the restaurant. They're training me, you know. I think they plan on passing the restaurant on to me someday." She sounded uncertain as to whether she liked that prospect or not.

"Well, you certainly would be good at it." Tristan said, eager to get the conversation directed away from himself.

Tiana sighed. "Hmmm…" She fiddled with her ring again. "Well…maybe."

Tristan gave her a hug, a quick one since he was not the huggy type. "Listen, have you had supper yet?"

"Yeah, but that was quite a while ago."

"Same here. Why don't we sneak down to the restaurant kitchen and snitch some coconut cookies or something of that sort?"

Tiana's eyes immediately lit up, but she seemed a little hesitant with the idea. "We might get caught. Cook Lavonia might still be down there finishing up last minute things for tomorrow's menu." Cook Lavonia was a snappish, no nonsense gallimimus who happened to be an amazing cook, but everyone knew to keep out of her way. Her wooden spoon was notorious for leaving red welts on the knuckles of the greedy hands that tried to snitch her delicious creations.

"Come on, it's worth the risk, isn't it? We used to do this all the time." Tristan pulled his sister toward the door.

Tiana grinned. "Yeah, well, since you've left, she's gotten sharper. It's been getting harder and harder to get past her."

"Aha. Well then, I'll have to teach you some new sneaking skills from the master who's been away for so long."

Tiana giggled.

Tristan clapped a hand over her mouth. "Shhhh. If you can't keep quiet now, you'll never make it down there."

Tiana nodded.

Tristan released her and opened the door.

Sekani bounded forward, not about to be left out on the fun.

"Tristan," Tiana whispered. "I'm really glad you're home again. Sekani and I both missed you an awful lot."

Tristan smiled, but inside he felt confused. He'd missed his family as well, but he still felt like he'd left part of himself back in the canyons. And then there was the problem with the pteranodon egg. For now it was buried deep within his closet, safe and warm, but he knew it couldn't stay there forever. It was only a matter of time before it would hatch.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next few days passed and Tristan fell into a pattern. He worked in the back at the restaurant and when he wasn't doing that or spending time with his family, or watching over the egg, he took solitary walks through the city. Since Celesta was home a lot, she helped him keep an eye on the egg. He knew he was just stalling for time, but he wasn't sure what to do with his life at the moment. Every now and then Tiana brought up the subject of Treetown, but Tristan didn't want to hear about it.

He still hadn't told the rest of his family about the egg. It seemed like the longer he waited, the harder it was to break it to them. Celesta urged him to tell them, but he still procrastinated.

One evening while enjoying a walk after an exceptionally busy day at the restaurant, Tristan paused to watch a juggler perform on the street. A colorful array of balls arched over the jugglers head and Tristan found himself wishing he had that kind of agility. Maybe that's what he was lacking in being a good rider. Maybe his movements weren't precise enough. Maybe Twilight had noticed this.

Tristan felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to find himself looking into a pair of familiar blue eyes, bright, and animated.

"Hi!" Poppy Harper said in an energetic tone. "I wondered if I was ever going to run into you again. I was beginning to think you'd left the city for good. So where've you been hiding out?"

Tristan shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I've been working a lot." He knew it wasn't a direct answer, but maybe it would be enough.

"So you're out seeing the sights then. That juggler's pretty good, isn't he?"

Tristan nodded. "Yeah, I always wanted to know how to do that."

"Why haven't you tried it then?"

Tristan shrugged. "I guess greater interests pushed it aside."

Poppy looked at him quizzically and Tristan could tell that she was dying to ask what those 'greater interests' were, but unlike the first time he'd met her, she was obviously trying hard to be polite and not pry too much. Tristan didn't feel like offering any information so he decided to question her for a change. "So what about you? What are you up to?"

Poppy's face broke into a huge smile. "I'm out with my family for an evening stroll. We like to do that sometimes, you know, as a family."

Tristan looked around wondering where this family she spoke of could be.

Poppy giggled. "They all went in there." She pointed to an antique shop, with old relics cluttering the sidewalk in front. There were so many things on display crammed into the window that it was almost impossible to catch a glimpse of the shop inside. "I was afraid I'd break something so I decided to wait out here. It's a good thing too, otherwise I wouldn't have ever seen you."

Tristan looked away and scratched his head, thinking that it _wasn't_ a good thing that she'd seen him.

"I see you're not carrying that huge pack anymore. You must've successfully made that delivery."

"Huh?"

"You know, the egg. You must've gotten it to the hatchery after all."

Tristan swallowed hard. How was he going to safely answer? "Oh yeah, that. Um…well, the egg's good and safe now."

Poppy nodded. "Good." There was a moment of awkward silence before she piped up again. "So, are you a skybax rider?"

Tristan almost jumped. "What? A rider? No way. What made you think that?"

"Well, when we parted ways the last time, you said 'Fly High' with that showy salute that riders always use. You did it so naturally too, like you'd done it all your life."

Tristan swallowed hard and shifted uncomfortably as he struggled to think of what to say. "Uh, yeah, that." He muttered. "I was just…messing around…you know…seeing what it felt like to act like a…rider."

Poppy was just opening her mouth to ask another question when the door to the antique shop opened.

Tristan immediately jumped on the opportunity for a distraction. "Hey, is that them? Your family?"

A beefy looking man with sandy hair and a thick beard stepped through the door, followed by a woman and two boys, one looking fourteen maybe and the other seven or eight. The man was holding a squirming little girl that looked like she might be two.

"Yes, that is my family." Poppy said brightly. She bounded over to them. "Hey, Mom, Dad! Meet Tristan." Before he even knew what was happening, she had him by the hand and was practically dragging him over to meet her family.

The man shifted the toddler over to one side and practically crushed Tristan's hand in a hearty handshake. Tristan winced at the man's incredible grip and hoped no one noticed. "Pleased to meet you, young man." The man said in a booming tone. Tristan withdrew his hand and rubbed it, wondering how the man wasn't crushing the little girl cradled in his huge arm. "The name's Brutus, this here's my wife, Azalea, my boys, Kale and Lander, and apparently you've met Poppy already. Oh yes, and I can't forget little Daisy here, can I?" The toddler smiled, tugging at one of her curls. She looked at Tristan with big, curious eyes. "Tith-tun." She said, pointing at him.

Poppy laughed. "She's pretty good with names." Then she turned to her parents and said, "Hey, Mom, Dad, maybe Tristan could join us for a while."

Tristan started to protest, but his words were immediately drowned out in the noise of the jolly family voicing their agreement. So Tristan was swept away with the busy family, popping in and out of shops, stopping every once in a while to watch a street performer, and last of all they stopped at an overstuffed little diner for a treat of sticky buns and hot tea. Tristan found himself squished in between Brutus and Daisy. By the time everyone was finished, Tristan's ears were ringing from Brutus's bellowing laugh and everyone's happy chatter. He tried to wipe off the sticky icing that Daisy somehow managed to spread all over herself _and_ him, but he still couldn't get it all off.

"So tell us about your family, Tristan." Poppy said as she leaned across the table to pour the last of the tea into his cup. He started to shake his head to let her know that he didn't want any more tea, but Lander looked at him so seriously that he stopped, realizing that refusing the gesture might be a sign of disrespect in the odd traditions of this family. So instead, he smiled and pushed his cup forward. Lander's face immediately brightened.

"Yes, do tell us about your family." Said Azalea warmly.

Tristan cleared his throat. "Well, uh, I guess I could say they're a lot more fun to be around than me."

Everyone laughed and Daisy clapped her sticky hands together even though she didn't really know what was so funny. Tristan realized that he didn't know what was so funny either.

"Oh, come now, Tristan." Said Azalea. "We all think you're wonderful."

Everyone chipped in their agreement. Tristan decided that they probably thought everyone they met was truly wonderful and loads of fun, but he kept this thought to himself.

"Well, my parents names are Cedric and Sarilla Starr and they own the Sauropolis Starr restaurant—"

Before he could finish the whole family interrupted, expressing their admiration over the fact that it was _his_ parents that ran the fine restaurant. Tristan knew the restaurant had a good reputation, but the high praise that came gushing from the family seemed too much. When there was a slight lull in the wave of praise, Tristan snagged the moment to move on. "Anyway, I have two younger sisters, Tiana and Celesta." He looked at Poppy. "They're probably about your age. Tiana's fifteen and Celesta just recently turned fourteen."

Poppy smiled. "Yes, I'm fifteen. I would love to meet your sisters."

"Well." Tristan went on, by now realizing that if he was going to get to say much of anything, he needed to keep moving or the family would take over. "You remind me of Tiana in some ways. She's bubbly and fun loving, friendly, and can be pretty talkative at times. Celesta, on the other hand, is much quieter and very shy, but she loves music and has the sweetest singing voice I've ever heard."

"Are they pretty?" Said Kale, bluntly and immediately received a cuff over the head by his father and a stern look from his mother.

Tristan smothered the impulse to laugh. Kale had definitely hit the stage of being interested in girls. Lander, on the other hand, wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Actually." Tristan said, "They're not just pretty, they're marvelously beautiful. But," he added, looking pointedly at Kale, "They have a deinonychus friend who guards them closely and he isn't exactly what you'd call tame. He was an orphan from the Rainy Basin when my parents adopted him."

"From the Rainy Basin?" Kale repeated, his eyes huge now.

"Yup. However, since he grew up with us in Sauropolis, he does pretty good. Well, _most_ of the time that is. He's been known to get a little violent toward strangers that look like they could be a threat." Tristan knew he was going a little far, but it was fun to see the boy getting so uncomfortable.

Brutus burst into a trumpet blast of laughter and gave Tristan a hearty slap on the shoulder, which caused the last of the tea in his cup to slosh out over his arm and onto the table. No one seemed to notice though, except for Daisy who reached out and stuck a pudgy finger in the puddle of tea on the table top and tasted it.

"Boy, you've got a sense of humor after all." Brutus guffawed. "It was subtle though. We're going to have to work on you a little."

Tristan mopped up the tea with a napkin and resisted the urge to touch his shoulder which felt like it might be bruising. Seriously, how was it that this whole family wasn't black and blue?

After they were all outside on the street again, Tristan looked for a way to escape. "Whew, it must be getting late." He said.

Azalea voiced her agreement while she bounced Daisy on her hip. The toddler rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"Dad? Could Tristan come to my birthday party? And his sisters too, I'd love to meet them." Poppy said.

The whole family erupted in excitement and Tristan knew that if he turned down the invitation they would all be disappointed. "Well, uh—" He began, trying to find a gentle way to turn the invitation down.

"It's settled then." Brutus bellowed, offering another friendly slap to Tristan's shoulder. Tristan gritted his teeth. "An invitation will be sent to the restaurant." Azalea said.

"Okay." Tristan said while the family smothered him with goodbyes. He wasn't even sure if anyone heard his reply. He could've just as well said no after all and none of them would've noticed.

"I'll bring the invitation myself." Poppy said softly so that the rest of her family couldn't hear.

"Thanks." Tristan said. So she could tell he was a little overwhelmed with her family. "Don't worry." Poppy added with a smile. "I won't bring them."

Tristan found himself smiling back in relief.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next few days, Tristan avoided roaming the streets in an effort to avoid any chances of running into Poppy or her family. Instead, he retreated to his room more often, watching the egg closely. While he kept an eye on the egg, he utilized the quiet time to try and sort out his mixed up life and to come up with a plan on what to do once the egg hatched.

No matter how much time he spent thinking about it though, he couldn't seem to come up with any solutions on what he was going to do once the egg hatched. He knew that he couldn't keep it hidden forever. What would his parents think at discovering a skybax hatchling screaming in his room and knocking things over as it tries to learn to fly? Really, he shouldn't have brought it to Sauropolis in the first place, but he didn't really know what else to do. In all reality, he'd simply returned home because he was at his wits end and didn't know what else to do. As he watched the egg and tried to figure out a plan, Tristan grew more and more nervous. No, at this point, showing it to anyone else was not an option. The city officials would probably deem him unfit for caring for an egg, much less and orphaned hatchling and they would take it away from him. The skybax entrusted the egg to him and he was determined to return one day to the canyons along with the hatchling and show the skybax that he did his job and that he'd done it well. Maybe then he could win the creature's full trust.

When Tristan wasn't watching the egg, he kept busy working in the restaurant. He preferred working in the back, away from the main hubbub of guests. He'd never been a good waiter. He didn't have a friendly enough vibe and he struggled to keep his patience with picky customers. In the past he'd made so many mistakes with it that his parents were glad to keep him out of the dining room. After getting into arguments with people or rubbing cranky dinosaurs the wrong way, Tristan decided that scrubbing pots and pans, cleaning, and organizing shipments of food was better too.

One evening while Tristan was hard at work scrubbing skillets in the back, Tiana, who often worked as a waitress, came sailing into the back with a huge grin on her face. "Tristan, you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend." She said while holding out an envelope toward him.

Tristan stopped scrubbing and reached for the envelope. His sleeves, even though they were rolled up to his elbows, were dripping. "I don't have a girlfriend and you know it." He said.

Tiana danced backward, keeping the envelope out of his reach. "You're hands are soaking. You'll ruin the paper if you don't dry them off first." She lifted the envelope to her nose. "Mmmm. It smells good too. The girl that brought it to you is waiting out in the dining room." Tiana's eyes were sparking with mischief.

Tristan sloppily dried his hands on the apron he wore, though the apron was so soggy that it didn't do much good. "Give me that, and stop acting so silly."

Tiana dodged him again. "Ooh, if you didn't think she was so special you wouldn't be so eager to try and get this away from me."

Tristan rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, you're being ridiculous. Give it here and I'll show you what it is. It's nothing private and it isn't what you think."

Tiana finally handed it over. "Sure, whatever. You just don't want to admit that you like her."

Tristan ignored the comment as he tore open the envelope and pulled out the card within. "See, it's just an invitation to a _party_." He put extra emphasis on the word in order to distract his sister. "And look," he waved it in front of her, "it's nothing personal. You and Celesta are both invited too."

"A party? And we're invited?" Tiana clapped her hands together. "Ooh, this is great. I love parties!"

Tristan smiled to himself. He knew that the moment he mentioned a party Tiana would be distracted from teasing him. She was already reaching for the card. "Let me see it. Oh, look, you've made soggy fingerprints on the paper already." She scolded. "Now the ink is starting to blur. At least I can still see what it says. Dear Tristan, you are invited to Poppy Harper's sixteenth birthday party." Tiana grinned. "Hey, it's only seven days from now. I can't wait to figure out what I'm going to wear." She handed the invitation back to Tristan. "Don't lose this, or ruin it any further. It has the times and address on it."

Tristan took it and stuffed it back into the envelope before setting it on the window sill.

"You know, that girl, I guess Poppy must be her name, is out in the dining room waiting for you." Tiana reminded him in a sly tone.

Tristan shrugged as he returned to the sink of soapy water. "What for? She came to deliver the invitation, that's all."

Tiana grabbed her brother's arm and pulled him through the kitchen. "You can be so dense sometimes. Get out there and see what else she's wanting."

Tristan pulled his arm from his sister's grasp. "Fine then. Don't be so pushy about it and don't get any more stupid ideas in your head."

Tiana just stood at the doorway, grinning.

Tristan frowned. "Don't you have work to do? I'm sure there are plenty of guests waiting to be served."

"Yes." Tiana said. "You're right." With that, she pushed open the double doors connecting the kitchen to the dining room and shoved Tristan through so he couldn't try to stay back in the kitchen. As Tristan staggered into the dining room, he fought the urge to verbally lash out at his sister who now had her back to him as she calmly approached one of the guest tables to resume her work.

Tristan opened his mouth then closed it again, realizing that his comments would clash terribly with the regal atmosphere of the dining room. Once again, he marveled at how two practically different worlds could exist side by side within the same building. The kitchen was noisy and cluttered and fast paced, but the dining room was just the opposite. It remained peaceful and orderly with the gentle murmur of voices rising above the tables. Sometimes his father hired musicians to play quietly in one corner of the room to make the atmosphere even more pleasant. His mother's elegant touch seemed to be everywhere. Red silk curtains wreathed the windows, matching the tablecloths draped over the round wooden tables. So long were the cloths that they fell in folds nearly to the floor and only the claw shaped feet of the table legs peeked out from beneath. Green ivy and white lotus flowers were carefully arranged among the decorations of the colorful and artistic looking blown glass pieces displayed here and there throughout the room. Tristan remembered again how his mother, Sarilla, loved the delicate look of blown glass and as a result, Volcaneum was one of her favorite towns to visit. It was there that the largest blown glass workshop and store resided in all of Dinotopia.

As Tristan's eyes scanned the room, his gaze settled on Poppy waiting for him at one of the tables by a window. She watched him approach with an eager expression on her face. She looked clean and fresh and the pink dress she was wearing seemed to bring out the blue in her eyes. Tristan suddenly realized that his soggy apron was still tied to his waist. Using his damp sleeve, he quickly swiped at his sweaty forehead. It was always hot back in the kitchen with the ovens going and the water boiling for dishes.

"Hello, Tristan." Poppy said brightly. "So you really do work at the renowned Sauropolis Starr restaurant."

"Um, yeah, that's what I told you, didn't I?" Tristan replied, trying not to sound irritated.

"Yes, you did. I just, I don't know. I guess I just thought I'd come see for myself. For some reason I keep thinking I'll catch you one of these days wearing a skybax rider uniform."

Tristan just stared at her, not smiling. "And instead you see me in work clothes and a soggy apron, doing the drab work in a fine restaurant. I'm not sure what gives you the idea that you're going to find me wearing a prestigious skybax rider uniform."

Poppy's chin dropped to her chest. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to irritate you. It's just, well…why did you act like one that first day I met you? I mean, you saluted like it was second nature."

Tristan sighed and plunked himself down in the chair on the oppose side of the table. You're not going to give it up about my skybax rider front, are you?"

Poppy continued to look down, avoiding his gaze. "Well…" Her voice trailed off and for once she didn't seem to know what to say.

"Look, that day you first met me I wasn't exactly myself. I'd been traveling and I was tired and out of sorts. I think I already mentioned to you the other day that I was just messing around when I did that skybax rider salute."

Poppy looked thoughtful. "Well, you're a pretty good actor then, I guess. You looked so natural that you had me convinced."

"So I can see that you didn't come by here just to drop off an invitation." Tristan said wryly. "You came to see for yourself if what I told you was true. Why did you doubt me?"

"I—I just—well you seemed so nice and all around my family, but that first day I met you it just seemed like you were a different person. You were so rough looking and carried a weapon, which is kind of against the rules here in Sauropolis and I thought, well who knows. Maybe he really is a Dolphin Bay tramp after all and he's tricked me this whole time."

"A Dolphin Bay tramp who acts like a skybax rider?" Tristan raised an eyebrow, trying to act like the idea was ridiculous.

"That part _was_ confusing." Poppy admitted.

"Let me ask you something. Why would a tramp pretending to be a skybax rider be transporting an orphaned egg?" Tristan felt nervous bringing up the subject, but it seemed necessary to prove his point.

Poppy shifted uncomfortably. "True. That doesn't make sense unless he would've stolen it for some reason."

"Remember, this is me you're talking about." Tristan looked at her seriously.

Poppy sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be thinking such things. It's just, well, I was talking to one of my friends and she said I was too trusting toward strangers and she made me think about some things."

"And so you had second thoughts about me and yet you still came by and dropped off an invitation to your party. It sounds to me like you don't need to convince yourself of my innocence."

Poppy smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. It's silly, I know. It's just, well, you know how people can put ideas in your head."

Tristan stood up. "Well, you can tell this friend of yours that the Dolphin Bay tramp turned out to be a boringly ordinary fellow who has a family and works in their restaurant, sweeping floors and scrubbing pots and pans. No skybax rider, no egg thief."

Poppy stood up as well. "You'll still come to the party then, won't you? I mean, after I doubted you and all."

Tristan swallowed hard. He'd been honest, right? He wasn't a Dolphin Bay tramp, he wasn't a skybax rider, and he wasn't an egg thief. Then why was he still fighting this feeling of guilt, like he was still deceiving her somehow? He forced himself to smile. "Yes. I'll still come and my sisters will come too."

Poppy left the restaurant with a sunny expression on her face and Tristan returned to his work in the back, feeling as if a gloomy cloud had descended upon him. As a result, he scrubbed too hard on some of the china, scratching the paint. After accidentally breaking a tea mug as well and dropping a skillet on the floor, chipping the corner of one of the floor tiles, the gallimimus cook in charge of the kitchen sent Tristan away, telling him not to return back to work until he could learn to stop breaking things.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

For the next few days Tristan spent more and more time in his room keeping a close eye on the skybax egg. After he'd gnawed his fingernails down to the quick, and still hadn't thought up a solution to his problems, he resorted to his sketch book. Drawing had always interested him, but he'd never found the patience for it until recently.

His mother wondered why he spent so much time alone in his room and he still hadn't figured out a way to tell her. Celesta, in her quiet way, kept hinting to him that he needed to tell the rest of the family what was going on. Tristan promised he would, but it seemed to get harder the longer he waited. One day when his mother came in, wanting to know why he spent so much time alone, Tristan pulled the sketchbook off of the shelf in his room and handed it to her.

Sarilla gave her son a quizzical look.

Tristan just shrugged and flopped down on the bed. He tried hard to not look at the closet. He was afraid that his mother would somehow see right through him _and_ the closet door.

Sarilla opened the book and her eyes widened as she stared at the first page. "Tristan, I had no idea!" She said, excitement in her voice as she thumbed through the pages. "When did you start doing this?" She held the book open to one page and held it out to him.

Tristan looked at the page. There was a half finished drawing of skybax perched on a rock ledge. There were other drawings in the book, mainly of skybaxes, but there were a few sketches of other dinosaurs. Some of the drawings were better than others, particularly the ones further back in the book since he got better after he first started.

"One of the other cadets back at Canyon City got me started on it. It was frustrating at first, but I guess I liked it enough to keep trying." He swallowed nervously, hoping she wouldn't ask why there were so many skybax sketches over other subjects. It was true. He'd been sketching all the more while he spent time with the egg. It helped to pass the time and there was something satisfying about seeing the drawings progress.

"I had no idea you liked to draw. Why didn't you ever tell me this before?"

"Like I said, I just recently kind of got started on it. I didn't think they were that good and didn't feel the need to show anyone."

Sarilla shook her head. "I never imagined you would have the patience for such a thing."

Tristan choked back a sarcastic laugh. He _didn't_ really have the patience. He'd only been doing them to kill time and try and keep himself from thinking about his problems, but he didn't really feel like letting his mother know that. Not yet anyway.

Sarilla put the book back on the shelf. "If you're that interested in art, I can arrange for you to take classes. I'm pretty sure there's an artist who teaches on afternoons every few days over at the conservatory just past Carousel Plaza.

Tristan shook his head. He should've known his mother would try to push him into some kind of training. "No. I'm not ready for that. I just…need to give it more time."

Sarilla kissed her son on the forehead. "Let me know when you are." She smiled and left the room.

Tristan sighed when she left. It was for that very reason that he hadn't shown her the sketches sooner. She would want him to go further with the training and he really wasn't interested enough for that. At least she was satisfied with that explanation for now. But Tristan knew that time was running out and he would have to tell his parents about the skybax egg. But could he trust them with this? Ever since he'd returned he'd been watching them closely, trying to find some kind of sign that would let him know that they would understand him and wouldn't make him take the egg to a hatchery. So far he hadn't seen anything to convince him yet.

"So, did you find a good present for her?" Tiana asked one evening while she and Celesta and Tristan were cleaning up the kitchen in the back of the restaurant.

Tristan groaned. He'd forgotten about that part. In the Starr family, birthdays meant presents.

Tiana laughed. "Seriously, Tristan, you do beat all sometimes. Someone invited you to a birthday party and you didn't even think about a present."

"Well you and Celesta are invited too." Tristan said pointedly. "I'm not the only one that's got to come up with something."

Tiana just shrugged, but an ornery smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Yeah, but we don't know her. What do you think she'd like?"

Tristan paused from scrubbing one of the counters with a rag. "I really don't know."

"Come on. You've been around her more than us." Tiana said as she dumped a bunch of dirty silverware into the sink of hot water.

"You could always give her some flowers. Girls always like flowers." Celesta suggested. She contentedly scrubbed away at the dirty dishes, clearly happy to be working in the back rather than serving customers in the dining room.

Tristan shook his head. "No. Not flowers. I don't want her getting the wrong idea."

Tiana and Celesta looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Tristan rolled his eyes. "Girls." He muttered. He dropped the dishcloth into the soapy dishwater, making sure to splash his sisters in the process. Celesta calmly swiped the water away from her face with her sleeve, but Tiana erupted. "Hey, watch it." She scooped up a handful of soap suds and blew them into her brother's face. Tristan saw it coming though and ducked. As a result, the bubbles landed in his hair instead. Celesta giggled. "You look like your hair is turning white like an old man's."

"Yeah." Tiana said, and if you keep worrying like you always do, you'll end up with real white hair long before your time."

"Worrying?" Tristan said. "What makes you think I'm worrying right now?"

Tiana grinned. "I just know you good, that's all. You're trying to act all cool, but you're worried about what to get Poppy Harper for her birthday."

Tristan rolled his eyes. "I need to figure out what to give her, but I'm certainly not worrying about it. I wouldn't have forgotten about it up until now if I was worried about it."

Tiana just gave him a look which showed that she didn't believe him. Tristan decided to just pretend that he didn't notice it even though he was boiling inside. His sister could tease all she wanted, but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing him flustered about the whole situation of being invited to a birthday party by a girl. Then an idea hit him. "Hey, couldn't we all just share the same gift? You know, you girls go get something and it can be from all three of us?" A comment like that would surely deter his sisters from thinking that he liked Poppy in any special way. He really _didn't_ like her in that way and it irked him that his sisters kept pestering him about it.

Both of his sisters shook their heads. "We already know what we're giving her." Tiana announced. "I'm giving her a bottle of perfume."

"And I'm giving her a shell necklace that I made." Celesta added.

Tristan frowned. "Weren't you just asking me a minute ago what to get her? Now you tell me you've already got gifts."

Tiana tusked lightly. "Now let's get things straight. I never said we didn't have gifts, I just asked what you thought she might like."

Tristan rolled his eyes. Of course, Tiana had simply messed with him to get a reaction and it had worked. "Fine then." Tristan said, huffily. "Since you two are so good at this, could you just go out and get something for me to give her?"

Tiana and Celesta looked at each other and grinned. Tristan immediately regretted the question. "No, never mind. You two would get me into something I didn't bargain for." He chose to ignore their disappointed expressions. Clearly, his sisters wanted to go find something for him, just to have some fun and make things difficult for him. For all he knew they would find some shiny piece of jewelry or a bouquet along with a sappy little note that would have just the opposite effect he wanted on Poppy. The less this girl knew about him the better. She knew too much already concerning the skybax egg and it would be a total disaster if she found out what really happened to it.

So the next day Tristan went out and spent a whole afternoon looking in shops, trying to find something to get for Poppy's birthday. "It shouldn't be so hard." He told himself. He closed his eyes, trying to remember what she looked like the first day he'd met her. Was there anything that stood out that would give him some kind of clue? Then, after a moment of concentration, he thought of the colorful crocheted bag that the girl carried with her. It gave him an idea and it would have to do. He found a shop with a variety of colorful threads and yarns so he chose three skeins of yarn, one blue, one gold, and the other green. In exchange, he spent and hour and a half cleaning up the yarn shop, dusting, sweeping, and straightening up the shelves of yarn.

Finally, the night of the party arrived. Tristan, Tiana, and Celesta headed out the door of the apartment, with Sekani following close behind. Each one of them carried their gift and even Sekani had brought something. In one claw he held a small bunch of bright red poppies he'd gotten from a nearby flower vender. Tristan glanced at the dinosaur, slightly jealous of his gift. It was a clever idea, giving the girl flowers in honor of her name, but Tristan reminded himself that giving her flowers might give her the wrong idea. Sekani caught him eyeing his gift. The creature grinned, his sharp teeth twinkling in the city lights. Tristan rolled his eyes and looked away. What did it matter anyway what gift he gave the girl? He was trying to not to encourage things. Of course, why was he coming to the party then in the first place? He should've told her no. That would've ended it all. But then again, he really didn't want to hurt her feelings. Tristan grew edgy as he wrestled with himself, wondering why he was even thinking about all this anyway.

As they approached the Harper home, a pretty house built on the edge of the bay overlooking the water, Tristan grew nervous. The lights spilled out the windows of the large house, casting colorful beams on the dark water. He could hear music and laughter and the din of many voices. Tristan suddenly remembered that he hated parties and big crowds and wondered again why he ever consented to coming in the first place. He felt a small pat on his arm and turned to see Celesta giving him a sympathetic smile. She understood his discomfort since she too wasn't much for crowds and parties. At the last minute she'd almost decided to stay home, but Tristan managed to convince her to come, promising that she would like Poppy a lot. Deep down though, he had a hunch that Tiana would hit it off a little better with Poppy since they were both seemingly boisterous and fun loving. His biggest reason for wanting Celesta to come was simply because it would be a comfort knowing she was there since she shared his dread for parties. Also, his mother had told him that she really wanted Celesta to get out more. "Ever since you left for skybax rider training, Celesta has shown little interest in socializing. Even though Tiana is outgoing and would happily bring her along to her activities, you were the one that Celesta felt comfortable with going places. Now that you're back, I was kind of hoping that you could help her out with that again." Sarilla had explained.

A stygimoloch with painted head spikes graciously opened the door for the three Starr siblings and ushered them in. Tristan stared around him in a daze. The lights in the big central room shone down brightly, illuminating the crowd of people and dinosaurs milling about the room. He was vaguely aware of Celesta clinging to his sleeve.

"Oh, this is going to be fun." Tiana said as she tugged at Sekani's claw. "Look, I think there's someone we know." She scampered off with Sekani following close behind.

"How does she do that?" Celesta said as she watched her sister go.

Tristan scratched his head. "Beats me. Maybe Mom and Dad adopted her."

Celesta's worried expression melted into one of her slow smiles. She had a tendency to smile only half way most of the time so few people benefited at seeing it in full blossom. It was just reaching its peak when Poppy and her brother, Kale, standing next to her caught sight of them.

Poppy's eyes lit up at recognizing Tristan and she immediately bounded over to him. "Hi! I see you made it here. Oh, and this must be one of your sisters! I'm so excited to meet you." She held out a hand in greeting to the girl. "Breath deep. I'm Poppy Harper. What's your name?"

Celesta's smile remained, though smaller now, as she held out her hand shyly. "Seek peace." She returned in her soft voice. "My name is Celesta."

"Celesta. What a beautiful name." Poppy cooed appreciatively.

Kale cleared his throat loudly and Poppy suddenly remembered him. "Oh, and this is one of my brothers. Kale, meet Celesta, and you already know Tristan."

Kale touched the girl's hand in greeting. "I'm pleased to meet you, Celesta." He said smiling cordially. Then, glancing at Tristan he said, "Where's the other sister you spoke of?"

Tristan shrugged. "Oh, somewhere around here. Just as soon as we walked through the door she took off when she recognized someone she knew."

Kale looked around, tugging anxiously at his shirt collar. "And the deinonychus from the Rainy Basin?"

Tristan grinned. "He's with Tiana. They're practically inseparable. He takes his job seriously when he guards my sisters."

"Oh. I see." Kale swallowed hard and ran a hand through his sandy colored hair. "I uh, I guess I'll just meet her later then."

Celesta shyly held her carefully wrapped gift out to Poppy. "Here's a present for you."

Poppy's eyes brightened. "Oh, you didn't need to give me a present. I know this is a birthday party and all, but I don't expect presents from people. Having them come and spend time at the party is much more wonderful than any gift I could ever hope for."

Kale rolled his eyes. "Awe, come on. Don't let her fool you. She loves people, but she can't help but enjoy presents too."

Poppy gave her brother a friendly shove. "Oh, you. Why don't you go find something else to do with yourself?"

"Well, I'd like to get to know your guests too." Kale replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well can't you do it without making things awkward?" Poppy complained.

Celesta smiled as she watched the two siblings. She couldn't help but like this bubbly girl that reminded her so much of her own sister, Tiana. She pressed the gift into Poppy's hands. "It's alright. All people like presents. We just can't help it."

Poppy smiled. "Oh, Celesta, you are too kind."

Tristan was glad to see that his shy sister seemed to be hitting it off a lot better than he thought she would with Poppy. He glanced sideways at Kale, noticing how the other boy was eyeing his sister. It was all he could do to keep from laughing. Kale might think that he could win Celesta, but Tristan knew better. At this point in Celesta's life she was so shy with anyone and steered clear of boys, especially if any sought her out. After all, she was only fourteen and had plenty of time before getting serious with anyone. Kale may have been watching Celesta closely, hoping to catch her eye, but she was just ignoring him, giving all her attention to Poppy.

"Why don't you open it?" Celesta said.

"Alright." Poppy said, her eyes shining with anticipation. She carefully untied the ribbon and pulled away the pretty piece of material that covered the little box. She lifted the lid to the box and pulled out the shell necklace. "Oh, it's wonderful! I've always loved seashells. This is so pretty. Where did you find something like this? I'd love to visit a shop that has stuff like this."

"I made it." Celesta said with a modest smile and stared down at her feet.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Just for me?"

"Yes."

"And you didn't even know me. You are too kind. Oh, Celesta, can I give you a hug?"

Celesta shrugged. "I guess."

Poppy hugged the girl. "Thank you so much. You are so sweet. I think we're going to get along wonderfully."

Celesta smiled.

"Yeah, I think we will." Kale added determined not to be completely left out of the conversation.

Celesta just looked at the boy with a confused expression on her face.

Tristan unceremoniously plopped his gift into Poppy's hands. "And here's mine." He said.

"You too?" Poppy said. "You know you didn't have to."

"Yes. I know. But that's what we Starr's do for birthdays. We give gifts to the birthday person."

"Really? The Harpers always throw a party with lots of dancing. That's our tradition." Poppy took the gift and opened it. He thought something was wrong at first because the girl stared down at the colorful skeins of yarn silently.

"Well, uh, do you like it?" Tristan asked, wondering if he'd made a really stupid mistake.

Poppy looked up at him, her eyes glowing. "How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"How did you know that I love making things out of yarn? I don't even know you that well yet and you figured that out somehow."

Tristan shrugged. "Well, I noticed that colorful bag you were holding the first day we met."

"Really? And you seemed so distracted then. I would've never thought you'd notice something like that. Thank you, Tristan. I can't wait to get started making something out of this." Poppy carefully returned the yarn to the bag that Tristan had brought it in and added Celesta's gift to it. She stepped forward and just as she'd done with Celesta, she hugged him too. "That was the perfect gift." She said, softly, in his ear.

Tristan just stood there stubbornly with his arms held stiffly to his sides. If he dared return that hug he just knew Tiana would see it from wherever she'd disappeared to and he'd never hear the end of her teasing. It was all he could do to stand politely still instead of swatting the girl's hands away like he usually did when his sisters ever tried to hug him.

Poppy, apparently having been raised to hug everybody she considered a friend, didn't seem to notice how awkward Tristan felt. She pulled away quickly and said merrily, "Come on, let's go find your other sister. I'd like to meet her." She tugged at one of Tristan's hands, as well as Celesta's and the two people in the Starr family who hated parties, found themselves being pulled right into the center of one.

Kale was left standing alone staring after Celesta with a disappointed expression on his face. After a moment's hesitation though, he decided to follow them, though at a distance.


End file.
